Have you heard of floatation therapy? No!? It’s ok, a lot of people haven’t, or have heard of it but not tried it yet, so you are not alone. I’m someone who is always keen to try the next stress-relieving and relaxation treatment to see what it’s all about, and I tried float tanks about 2 years prior to writing this post and have been a lover ever since.
So let’s get to the details, what is floatation therapy? Well, as it sounds, it involves floating. To be able to do this, you enter a pod or tank filled with magnesium or epsom salt water. It’s very shallow but enough to make you extremely buoyant, creating a feeling of anti-gravity and reducing your sensation of touch. Not only this, but as you are advised to have your float session naked, you will also be void of any sensation of clothing too, which really helps your mind be taken away and not focussing on the body.
This may start to sound familiar now, and lots of people I have spoken to yet to try the float tanks have said they would be concerned about feeling claustraphobic. This is because these pods or flat tanks are like stepping into a big bath the size of a small car, however they have lids which lift up and down and which enclose you inside where you are recommended to turn off the lights once comfortable to still your senses of sight, light and vision.
There are multiple float sessions options, depending on what facility you go to, but the standard float is based around being deprived of sounds and noise as well. Basically the point is to benefit from complete stillness of your senses and of all distractions to allow your mind to enter a slower state, potentially a meditative state to reset your mind and body and replenish itself from this rest.
Why you should try a float
There are lots of reasons you should choose to float, not just one! Firstly, I find like all of us nowadays that I am easily distracted by either my phone, the TV, things on my to-do list, noises and even though I try to schedule in time to meditate on a daily basis, things inevitably get in the way. For my floats however, I book this in every three weeks and ensure I go, otherwise I’ll end up losing my money! Not just this but I look forward to it as it isn’t too frequent that I will get bored. This means I get one full hour of no distractions to sit with myself. Can you name some times where you currently are able to sit or actually do just sit and THINK? I bet there aren’t many…
The benefits I find for doing this personally is that I get to process a lot of thoughts and emotions that have been going through my mind but haven’t fully developed because of constant distractions, and after a float I find my mind is much clearer, decisions and thoughts have been set out and ready for me to act upon. I also regularly come up with really good ideas I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise either during or straight after, so I instantly feel the benefits!
Some other benefits is the physical, such as how the magnesium salts can soothe aching muscles which is great post-exercise. Magnesium is also excellent for improving sleep, and I am a huge advocate of all forms of magnesium. I’ve heard that our soils can be lacking which follows on through to the food we eat not being as nutrient-dense in this mineral, but of course if you’re looking to begin using any form of magnesium supplementation just check with your GP or registered medical professional first.
You might want to meditate in the float, you can make it whatever you like, there is no right or wrong way to experience floatation therapy, as long as you are feeling the benefits when you leave.
So what can you expect?
If you’re like me, and usually get a little bit nervous when you are trying something new for the first time, then let me ease your worries and take you through the details so you know what to expect when you arrive. The facility I go to really makes the whole session so effortless as they provide you with a towel and flannel, earplugs to stop yourself getting salt water in your ears, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, cotton buds, and even petroleum jelly to put on any cuts you have so you don’t have any stinging cuts distracting you during your float experience. There is also a hairdryer for afterwards and a really cute chill out area with herbal tea so you can continue your destress journey right after you emerge from the pod. So there you are, they are all the practical things!
Now for the experience. I was taken to my private room where a shower and pod awaited me. The lovely lady showed instructed me that once she left I was to shower in warm (but not hot!) water beforehand, put in the earplugs, and jump into the float naked, closing the lid behind me. You want to not raise your body temperature too hot before the float otherwise you might feel cold in the body temperature water of the tank and that would not be fun! A hot tip she gave me too was to put the flannel on the inside of the float, there is a hook and to keep this handy incase of a panic splash!! No one wants to be scrambling in the dark if you accidentally get salt water to the eyes! So I do this religiously despite only ever needing it once or twice – best to be safe than sorry in my opinion!
There is also a little circular head floaty hanging in the tank too which I like to use and saves any sore necks or worrying about how far your face is sinking below – but many people don’t necessarily need this. Inside the tank that I use there is a button to alert staff for assistance, and another for the light. Generally, I have only used the assistance button if my float ‘journey’ hasn’t begun or something isn’t going as usual – and no one has or would ever come in and lift your pod lid anyway and catch you nude so I wouldn’t worry – unless of course you actually needed them to for some reason!
Well the float ‘journey’ I have done the most has been their standard float type which involves stepping into the tank with the purple dim light on and some soft, relaxing meditative music playing. This really allows you to get comfortable and in the mood whilst not dipping straight into pure darkness, but you can definitely turn off the light straight away if you wish. I like to settle in and after 5-10 minutes, the light will go out and let the music continue playing, allowing you to wind down again to the next level. Around another 5 minutes later the music begins to soften even more and slowly fade out until you are left with pure darkness, silence and stillness.
For some, this can be the moment when panic can set in, and to be completely honest with you, I felt a little tingle of anxiousness at this point on my first float. I became very aware of being alone, unable to see or hear, worried if someone would enter my room and just generally a little freaked out, although not unbearably. I knew this would pass and chose to relax and stick with it and refocus my mind. I settled in for the rest of the 60 minutes.
AMAZINGLY, my first flew by! With high expectations that sitting in stillness for a whole hour would drag and feel like two, I could not believe it when 5 minutes towards the end the calming music faded back on in the dark to get me to wake from my peaceful state. I kid you not, but I felt like I had only been in the tank for 30 minutes! A little disappointed that it had all ended so quickly but feeling pleased I stuck in there, I was excited to see what the next session would bring. Finally the light came on and I rose from the pod feeling like I had just had some fancy, spenny spa treatment and couldn’t wait to book in to do it all over again!
Fast forward…
Two years later, I figured out a floating schedule that works for me which is every three weeks and it leaves me feeling I am due a float by this time but also let’s me enjoy the full experience. I have tried floating more frequently but I have found I have not ‘needed’ it as much and have then exited early because I have felt bored. For me, taking these floats is a time I crave out alone-time and thought-processing time, and peace and rest. If I’m not reaping the benefits then I enjoy it less and it can be not as valuable. The sessions are not super cheap either, well in comparison to a massage for example they are. I pay around $60/65AUD per float but they can hit up to $80/85AUD at some places or if you book a one-off session, so I feel it’s important to not waste the time you’re paying for.
My floatation sessions are a self-care activity that does only good things for my body and mind, physically and mentally and is scheduled on a regular basis. I couldn’t book in massages this regularly, and for me no it has become a necessity for my mental health and wellbeing. If I don’t float within my regular 3 week interval I can feel myself feeling a bit fuzzy in my thoughts, perhaps my patience dropping or tolerance lowering and mood diverging.
I CANNOT recommend floatation sensory deprivation therapy enough to be honest with you! And even if you try it and it’s not for you, you have still done something good for yourself, you will still feel like you’ve had a spa-like treat or day out. You’ve still taken some time to yourself to prioritise you and to treat you body with the beneficial effects of magnesium, you should still come out feeling absolutely awesome!! Even just trying something new will make you feel good 🙂
If you’ve tried floatation therapy before or you are planning to give it a go after reading this post, please share your comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Also if you tried it after reading this and want to share how your experience went and whether you will keep this up and apply it to your wellness routine, please PLEASE comment below to share it’s positive effect – I can’t wait to hear about it!!
